Karte
/ˈkartə/feminine
The English word "card" is translated into German as Karte.
Karte refers to a flat, normally rectangular piece of stiff paper or plastic. Depending on the context, you may use compound words: Visitenkarte is a business card, Spielkarte is a playing card, Speisekarte is a menu (literally "food card"), Landkarte is a map ("land card") and Postkarte is a postcard.
Meaning: flat, normally rectangular piece of stiff paper, plastic etc. (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of Karte is Karten.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkartə/
Did you know?
- German uses Karte to describe a ticket for an event, such as an Eintrittskarte for admission. In English, tickets and cards are distinct objects.
- The phrase die Karten mischen means 'to shuffle the cards' but can also be used metaphorically to mean changing the terms of a deal or a situation.
- The word Karte is a distant relative of the English word 'carton', as they both stem from the same ancestral roots involving paper and stiff materials.
Examples in context
- Bar oder mit Karte?Cash or credit card?This sentence is useful for asking if one wants to pay with cash or by using a Karte.Tatoeba #7480309 by kutschektar, translation #1543463 by JimBreen
- Wirf eine Karte ab!Discard a card.This sentence is useful for instructing someone to discard a Karte.Tatoeba #10565059 by Yorwba, translation #9358266 by megamanenm
- Nehmen Sie eine Karte!Take a card.This sentence is useful for instructing someone to take a Karte.Tatoeba #2880146 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1841186 by CK
- Haben Sie eine Visitenkarte?Do you have a business card?
- Haben Sie eine Eintrittskarte?Do you have an entrance ticket?
- Möchtest du eine Geburtstagskarte kaufen?Would you like to buy a birthday card?
- Ich habe heute Spielkarten gekauft.I bought playing cards today.
- 85 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian and Laura are looking for a birthday card.
- MaximilianHast du eine Karte für ihn?Do you have a card for him?
- LauraJa, die Karte liegt hier.Yes, the card is lying here.
- MaximilianIst sie schön?Is it beautiful?
- LauraJa, sie ist wirklich hübsch.Yes, it is really pretty.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “card” translations and entries Karte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Karte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
